Lavender and Lillies
by 1010'jin
Summary: After a certain Hyuuga pisses Tenten off, she heads off to a bathhouse to clear her troubles. But what happens when the same Hyuuga overhears her confiding conversation with the princess? Neji x Ten.
1. Chapter 1

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_Lavender and Lilies_

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Tenten was mad. No, scratch that.

She was in Angry Female Mode. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, as they say.

Hyuuga Neji, Tenten said scathingly to herself, is an arrogant prick. How dare he insult her skills! How dare he stare down at her with those infuriatingly snobbish eyes and that smug smirk! How dare he insult her in a tone he could've used to discuss the goddamn _weather_ and still sound so degrading?

How. Dare. He.

Neji was going down. He was going down so hard he didn't need a shovel to dig a hole to the other side because his big fat _face_ would dig it for him before he could even _think_ about sneezing.

Right. So making scathing remarks weren't one of Tenten's strong points. That was okay. In fact, that was just dandy. She didn't need words to make those stupid (amazing) eyes cry. That's why she had pointy things to throw. Actions speak louder than words, after all. This brings us back to the million-dollar question:

Why did Tenten loathe Hyuuga Neji's guts with all her soul?

It was simple, really—he made her cry.

And for Pete's sake, this was monumental because she hadn't cried since she was four years old and her favorite hair tie snagged on an errant branch and snapped. But this man, this stupid, stupid man, merely had to insult her and she started bawling like a baby. It was embarrassing.

One look, one sneer, one sentence. And she broke like a twig.

The last time she could remember being so preoccupied with what Hyuuga Neji thought of her was when they were genins.

Before, when they first formed as a team, she had been a different variation of his typical fangirls. She thought she was more mature than they were because she didn't cling to his arm or simper or flutter her eyelashes. Instead, she did his mission chores, became his sparring partner, and gave him the better tasting ration bar.

Kami, how she was tired of it. She was tired of his smirks, his knowing glances. She was tired of Lee and Gai-sensei's pitying looks that they tried to hide with their bright smiles and exuberant statements. She was tired of how he treated her. She was just tired of Team Gai in general. It was quite easy to get driven nearly to insanity on her team. Neji was a walking ice cube and the other two…well…

She did not have many friends to confide to. Sakura and Ino had always been the best of friends (frenemies), even before Sasuke had influenced their brains and turned them inside out. Tenten always envied the way they joked around and laughed with one another. The only way she had established a cautious friendship with the two of them was because of Hyuuga Hinata.

Hinata acted as glue, friends with Sakura and Ino as well as Tenten and keeping them all together. But Hinata had been Tenten's first female friend. They had met up in a bathhouse after a grueling day of training for the both of them, and came to relax. To forget. They began to talk, and sat there long after dark came outside.

Strange how hot water, bruises, and irritation with teammates could bond two girls so closely together.

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"O-ohayo T-tenTen-chan," the shy Hyuuga princess stammered meekly as she climbed into the hot springs.

"Ohayo, Hinata-chan!" Tenten waved lazily from her corner of the springs before dunking her head under to wash the unwanted grime from her hair.

When she reemerged, Hinata was sitting next to her and was calmly washing her body with subtle gestures. Tenten smiled affectionately at this. When they had first met, Hinata had turned the color of a lobster when Tenten had whipped off her towel and started to bathe in front of the Hyuuga girl. To Hinata, it had been embarrassing. How could people _do_ that? Even now, the lavender-eyed girl was still modest around Tenten.

"H-how was t-training?" Hinata asked the Weapons Mistress quietly, pausing in her bath when she finally noticed Tenten's sulking and obvious discontentment. As if waiting for that moment, Tenten immediately shouted, "AWFUL!!" Hinata '_eeped_' and nearly fell over.

"I-I'm sorry that is so, Tenten-chan," Hinata said, patting her friend's tanned shoulder in a motherly act of understanding. "What h-happened?"

"What happened? What _happened_?" Tenten shook her head, scowling to herself as she scrubbed angrily at the quickly reddening flesh of her forearm. "I'm sorry Hinata-chan, but there's something wrong with that cousin of yours! He thinks he's all smart and powerful and makes sure we all know it. I mean, even after I helped him train for his exam he had the nerve to insult me to my face. Does that man know the definition of gratitude?"

"He can get on your n-nerves," Hinata acknowledged, "But h-he is not such a b-bad person when you get to know him." She offered a tentative smile, and received a strained one in return.

What else did Tenten expect? She was talking to the cousin of her problem, after all. And Hinata was such a nice girl, not a mean bone in her body.

"Neji has his moments," Tenten allowed with a sigh. "But most of the time, I just want to strangle him! I mean, who became Chunnin before him? Huh? Huh? Yeah, _I_ did!" She huffed, crossing her arms below her chest. "Damn bastard," she muttered. She blew sulkily at the water surface, watching the ripples with a detached sort of interest.

Hinata sighed before sinking lower until she was completely submerged. She knew what Tenten said was true, but she also knew that Neji didn't need any training. There was only one reason why he allowed Tenten to help him train…but when Hinata had figured it out, Neji had threatened to slit open her throat and pull her intestines up through it and nail it to the training post if she spilled the beans. Honestly, that boy was a bit sheltered in the ways of human interaction. So, she resigned herself to the occasional hint.

Obviously, Tenten had not picked up on them.

"I better go, Hinata-chan," Tenten said, slowly rising from the steaming water. Her towel was clinging dangerously low on her dripping figure, and Hinata could easily tell why her cousin was obsessed with her friend. "I'm sorry for bothering you with my troubles."

"Oh, n-no," Hinata protested softly, "it's no problem at all, Tenten-chan. I-I'm fine with it." Tenten flashed a charming grin which made her pretty features light up. Since Hinata's back was pressed against the fence that blocked the boys' hot springs from the girls' Hinata could hear the audible gasp of awe that sounded awfully familiar.

"Thanks, Hinata-chan! See you around!" She waved before turning to walk back to the changing rooms, her hips swaying slightly. As soon as she disappeared, Hinata turned her head slightly and murmured, "You should just tell her, Neji-nii-san."

There was a pause.

"How did you know I was here, Hinata-sama?" Neji's deep voice was strained, and Hinata knew he had eavesdropped on their conversation. Hinata smiled.

"Easy. I could practically feel your presence, and only you would know that we meet here every day at this time."

"…true."

"…and you probably came in hopes of apologizing…"

"…true."

"…and you looooove Tenten-chan…"

"…tru—hey, _what_?" Hinata giggled before getting out herself.

"Nothing. Just, please, cousin. Tell her soon." Before Hinata left, she could just hear her cousin whisper, _'…I will…'_

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Humming to herself, Tenten walked at her own leisure down the dirt road that winded around the trees in the forest by the hot springs. Here, she knew she could forget her troubles in an instant. Picking up her pace in anticipation, Tenten soon began sprinting off the path and through brambles and trees before bursting into a clearing.

Inhaling deeply, Tenten dropped her kunai holsters and scroll bag by the calm stream, kicking off her sandals and dipping her feet in. She gave out a groan of relief, nearly sagging on the ground. She sat in silence for a few minutes, content in listening to the birds and other sounds of the nature around her.

"Tenten," a quiet, calm voice murmured right by her ear. Tenten gave a Hinata-like '_eep_' and whirled around when she came face to face with Hyuuga Neji. Her eyes widened as her mouth opened to form a perfect 'o' as her face held the classic pose of confusion and surprise.

_Oh…my_.

"N-Neji," she whispered, her hot breath tickling his cheeks. He inwardly shuddered as he reveled in her scent and her closeness.

"Tenten," he whispered back, and Tenten suffered the same effects.

"What are you doing here?" Then, as if remembering that she was supposed to be angry, she snapped, "Aren't you supposed to be out training or something?" When he was silent, she raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

Neji muttered something under his breath. Tenten's eyebrows went well past her hairline.

_No way_…

"Excuse me?" she asked, not sure she had heard right.

Giving out an exasperated noise, he repeated in a louder tone, "I said I wish to apologize."

She blinked. Then she blinked again. "…why?"

"Because I was stressed earlier today and I did not mean to take it out on you. Tenten," he said, and his breath fanned over her cheeks and oh god, she couldn't breathe, "I am sorry."

"…oh. Um, I'm still mad at you, you know," Tenten mumbled feebly, still a touch dazed.

"Let me buy you dinner as a token of my humblest apologies," Neji offered. Poor Tenten was reeling in shock; thoughts could not connect.

"Uh…s-sure…"

Neji broke out into a smile that took Tenten's breath away. "Good. Then, I shall meet you here at five o'clock this evening." With that, he disappeared in a swirl of leaves, leaving a very bewildered kunoichi in the clearing. Shaking her head, she got up, no longer anywhere close to angry. Neji had that way with her…she just couldn't stay mad with him. And that smile of his…

Wait, smile? _The_ Hyuuga Neji, the icebergs of all icebergs, _smiled_ at her?

And so a confused-as-hell Tenten stumbled down the road to her apartment before fumbling for her keys and entering. Flicking on the lights and locking her door, Tenten turned to find a single rose on her coffee table. She picked it up and breathed in the soft, powdery smell, and let out an unbelieving yet happy smile, although she did not realize a pair of white eyes caught every single movement.

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_Author's Note__: Hi, everyone!! Back when I first posted this chapter (before I revised it, that is), a fantastic reviewer by the name of __**anon**__ pointed something out to me. Neji reached the rank of Chuunin _before_ Tenten, which is different than what I have here in LL. But you know what? Screw it. This is fanfiction, folks. Hope you enjoy this revised version!! _

_--1010'jin_

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	2. Chapter 2

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_Lavender and Lilies _

(Chapter 2)

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"He's late." Tenten grumbled under her breath as she paced back and forth, arms crossed tightly under her chest. "He better not have stood me up." A glance up at the sinking sun set off a whirl of emotions in her head, the loudest being worry.

What if he had been joking? What if he was watching her right now, smirking in that infuriatingly handsome way and enjoying her suffering? Should she leave? Should she wait five more minutes? Should she find some hole to fall into and never ever come out?

Her worries proved moot when suddenly there was a muffled 'poof' as Neji appeared from a cloud of smoke with a pleasant if not slightly apologetic expression on his face. Immediately her ire melted into nothing, and she mentally admonished herself for allowing him to do that to her.

'_I_ _am woman—hear me roar. If man tries to grab my hair with his meaty paws, I club him_,' Tenten thought amusedly to herself. She watched as his expression shift back into its typical expressionless mask as he approached her.

"Sorry about the wait," Neji said as he came to a halt close to her…well, make that _extremely_ close beside her. So close, in fact, that she felt heat radiating off of his chest.

"It's no problem," Tenten lied between her teeth. "So, where are we going?"

Neji paused. "Go?"

Tenten just stared up at him. "You mean you didn't have anything in mind?"

He lifted and dropped his shoulders, looking at her expressionlessly. "Of course. I was just planning on taking a walk." He gestured towards the sky. "There should be a full moon tonight."

Tenten sighed, shaking her head.

'_What a guy_.'

Hooking her arms with Neji's, Tenten proceeded to tug Neji down the road and into town before finally pushing open the heavy, wooden door to the local ninja bar. They were immediately assaulted with loud music and a thick cloud of cigarette smoke.

After flashing her ID to the bouncer, she brought them under the pulsating lights and paused, glancing around. There were two levels, the ground floor for those who were not of drinking age, and the upper level, for those who could. Tenten was hyperaware of Neji's scrutinizing gaze, shifting when his eyes came to a rest on her.

"Do you come here often?" he asked her monotonously. Tenten winced as she noticed his voice was back to its normal frigid level.

'_Bad idea. Abort! Abort!'_

Half-turning, she explained awkwardly, "I don't, really, but Sakura told me that it's a good place for…um…dates." She waited for some sort of denial to her statement, but Neji just nodded, his pale eyes narrowing slightly as he took in the surroundings. She watched apprehensively as he looked around again.

The middle of the floor was reserved for dancing, and the non-alcoholic bar was situated on the far side of the room. The only way one could reach the upper floor was by the stairwell monitored by a sober ninja, who happened to be Aburame Shino.

Hinata's teammate glanced over their ID's before silently ushering them up.

They quickly found a table in a dark corner and ordered. Awkward silence quickly overtook them.

'_What the hell am I doing here?_' Tenten thought, alternating her gaze from the tabletop to her companion's blank face. '_This is so weird. I wonder if Neji got hit in the head recently or something._' A quick, cursory study of the aforementioned head proved the Hyuuga to be unscathed. '_Dang. Back to the drawing board_.'

"So, Neji," Tenten stared at him with her best 'don't-mess-with-me' look over the rim her glass. "Why did you really invite me out on a date?"

He returned her stare with his equally-stoic one. "My answer remains the same. Why do you doubt it?"

Tenten narrowed her eyes and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the edge of the small table. "It seems a bit out of character for you, is all. I mean, let's face it. You're usually a jerk. Why the change of heart? And don't lie," Tenten added quickly. "I've known you for a long time and I can tell."

"You seem so sure of that fact," Neji murmured, dragging a slender finger down the side of his beverage glass. A drop of condensation quivered at the tip of his finger as he held it up for inspection. "Are you really?"

"I am." The affirmation wasn't as confident as she wanted it.

His expression shifted minutely, and though he merely watched her Tenten got the feeling that he wasn't particularly pleased for reasons beyond her.

Tenten settled back in her chair. "It may not _seem_ like I've known you for a while, but I have." She wagged a finger at him.

His voice was deep and smooth and surrounded her like the clouds of smoke. "And how do I normally act like, Tenten?"

She paused. "Like an egotistical bastard. And come off it, that's hardly the worst thing you've ever heard in your life, Neji," Tenten retorted to his displeased grunt.

"I'm surprised, actually."

Tenten snorted. "Why? Because this is the first time I've actually ever said anything less than nice to you?" She sat up a bit straighter, suddenly interested in his response. "Can't take what you deal out?"

Neji stood up abruptly, knocking over his chair in his haste. Breathing harshly, he slammed down a crumpled amount of bills before snarling, "And here I thought you knew me better than that." He cast her a disgusted look. "You don't really know me at all."

"You just can't admit it, can you?" Tenten fired back. "You can't deal with the fact that you're really a—"

"Tenten," Neji hissed between his teeth. His shoulders were trembling with the strain of withholding his temper. "I know what I am and I know I'm not nice. I don't care. I am not going out of my way to make anyone happy. People think I'm an 'egotistical jerk'? Fine. That's fine. I just wish you'd understand that I only care what you think."

…_I only care what you think…_

The Weapons Mistress sat there in shocked silence with her head rested in her hands, her heart thumping wildly long after his abrupt departure. Never had she seen Neji so angry before.

What he said before he left. Did that mean that he liked her? Perhaps she actually had that snowball's chance in hell with him? She groaned. It was too much to process.

'_One thing I know for sure is that this went from bad to worse in less than ten minutes. Must be a new record.' _

Perched at the very top of a tree, Hyuuga Neji was wrapped up in his own thoughts, ignorant of the chilling wind that whipped his dark hair around wildly. Silently berating himself for losing his cool, he also worried of her reaction. He had always known that she had a crush on him—even back when they were genins. However, he had hesitated too long and the feelings had apparently faded.

Hinata had told him that if he messed up there was only one thing he could do. With that in mind, he turned in the direction of the old training grounds where he knew she had gone—even in her anger she was predictable. He smiled at this thought, which quickly disappeared as he remembered his task.

With a sigh, he hit the ground and started running.

God, he hated apologizing.

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	3. Chapter 3

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_Lavender and Lilies _

(Chapter 3)

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At this time of night, the air was very still.

The wind, which had before seemed wild and rabid, calmed into a peaceful whisper. Even the cheerful chirping of the crickets seemed like a wave of noise in the echoing silence. And in this gentle silence came a most peculiar sound—it was the sound of a woman scorned.

"Stupid, stupid, _stupid_," Tenten muttered under her breath. "God, you're such a weenie. I can't believe you actually thought this day would go well—serves you right." She kicked a pebble viciously, which ricocheted off of a tree trunk and slammed into an overturned trash can. The can went sprawling from the momentum of the pebble, careening down a rock-studded hillside and causing a rather spectacular ruckus. Tenten didn't even bat an eye, continuing to mutter to herself as she walked along the outskirts of town. Unconsciously, the kunoichi had veered off of the darkened street towards the general direction of the training grounds.

"ARGH!!" She let a frustrated scream out, whipping her kunai-pouch open to grab a kunai and flinging the object at a deadly speed until it '_thunked'_ into a tree to her left. Not anywhere close to being pacified, Tenten stalked up to said tree and began to tear it apart until nothing was left except for, perhaps, kindling.

Ten minutes, multiple screams, and a pair of bloody hands later, Tenten stepped back to survey her handiwork. She nodded approvingly at the neat pile of sawdust before wiping her hands with a spare bandage she had rummaged out of her pocket. Tenten wiped a trickle of sweat away from her warm forehead with the back of her hand and exhaled slowly.

At heart, Tenten wasn't a violent person.

It was true. And while she liked to play with pointy objects (in fact she had a room in her apartment dedicated to them), that didn't mean she was _not_ bloodthirsty or homicidal.

She _wasn't_.

"…Tenten-chan?"

Tenten turned around, rubbing at a particularly stubborn dirty spot on her chin, ending up face-to-face with the sweet Hyuuga Hinata. Her fierce longing to rip Hinata's cousin's head off ebbed slightly as she allowed her friend to take her gently by the wrist and lead her back to Hinata's apartment like a lost puppy.

"Please, make yourself comfortable, Tenten-chan." Hinata was not disturbed by the late hour they were up at—her cousin and his increasingly neurotic moods had her up at the oddest hours, but hopefully that would end soon.

After entering, Hinata locked all five locks (some salespeople just did not take _no_ for an answer sometimes) and nearly shoved Tenten onto her overly-stuffed couch before hurrying to the kitchen with the parting words of 'I'll grab us some tea'.

Tenten took a gander about the room, noting affectionately the warmth and feeling of home within the small walls. Half-opened boxes littered the floor, and more pieces of home poked out of the openings of the boxes. Even in the chaos of moving, this apartment was more homier than Tenten's ever had been.

Hinata had done well for herself. Tenten swiped at her eyes and told herself it was just the dust (she stubbornly ignored the feather duster waving peek-a-boo at her from the table to her right).

Perhaps she should tell Hinata to hire a housekeeper, because this much dust was not healthy. Not all people were cleaners at heart, after all.

She waited patiently until Hinata reappeared, the teacups and pot balancing precariously on top of one another. She sprang up to help her friend, but was waved down. "I got it, thanks."

Once the hot tea was served, they both sank back into the couch's heavenly soft embrace and wearily watched the steam spiral up to the ceiling. Tenten then idly watched Hinata's kitty clock swing its tail with every tick of the seconds hand. It was rather therapeutic, sitting there drinking tea and watching a kitty cat wag its tail in all its glorious silence.

Of course, all silences came to an end.

"Mind telling me why you're dressed up?" Hinata set her teacup down, her eyes unwavering from her friend's own chocolate ones. Tenten felt the calm from before slowly slither away, replaced with a growing frustration.

"Oh, just wait until you've heard this," the Weapon's Mistress said darkly.

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When the why-Tenten-wants-to-make-Neji's-life-miserable monologue finally came to a close, Hinata merely smiled knowingly, albeit sadly. Poor Neji. He was never one for words. Come to think of it, none of the Hyuugas were much talkers.

"What?" Tenten asked, slightly unnerved by the fact Hinata seemed to know something she didn't. It was a rather irritating Hyuuga trait that always seemed to ruffle her feathers. There was something in that glint in her eye that wasn't Hinata-like. Unnerving, too.

Tenten gulped at that thought. Maybe she was actually rubbing off on her. Normally that would be a good thing, an _extremely_ good thing, but somehow with Hyuuga Hinata and with _that_ look, no way was it a good thing.

"Tenten-chan, can I tell you a story?" Ignoring the alarmed glances she was given that clearly meant Tenten was calculating the various and quickest routes to get her friend to the hospital, Hinata continued, talking deep into the night.

"…and then he said—er, Tenten-chan? Tenten-chan? Helloooo?" Hinata waved her hand frantically back and forth in front of her face. Tenten jumped, startled, and rose to her feet.

"Er, you know what? I think I'm okay, thanks. The tea was good, but I'm going to have to take a raincheck on the rest of the story. _ThanksgottagobyeHinata!!"_

Hinata stood in the doorway, looking utterly befuddled as she watched the cloud of dust grow smaller and smaller in the distance. Then the confused look slid from her delicate features like water, replaced by a small mischievous grin. She reached up and brushed the dark hair away from her ear to reveal an earpiece.

"Neji-nii-san, s-she's coming in north-west at a-approximately a 37 degree angle. I detained her as long as I could."

"I see," a deep masculine voice crackled from the communicator. "Thank you, Hinata-sama."

"O-oh, think nothing of it, Neji-nii-san. But next time p-please give me more warning. She probably t-thinks I'm crazy because of that harebrained story I told her. I-I am not very good at improvisation like s-some people."

"I apologize, Hinata-sama."

"Well, good luck."

"I think I will need it."

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"…gotta get Hinata away from Naruto…" Tenten muttered to herself. "She's losing brain cells every day he's by her. It's dangerous for her health!" She slowed to a walk. "Where am I?"

Undoubtedly, she was in the forest. The canopy of trees was hard to make out against the dark night sky, but the familiar smell calmed the kunoichi. Shuffling over to a weathered and cracked tree trunk, Tenten settled against it and kicked off her sandals, reveling in the delicious feel of grass.

_Snap_.

One eye snapped open, flicking immediately to the figure at the edge of the clearing. Her eyelid slid shut. "It's you."

Hyuuga Neji stepped into the moonlight, looking as perfect and emotionless as the last time she saw him. Damn him.

"Apparently," he agreed. He ventured closer, eyes fastened on her face.

She refused to budge an inch, tilting her chin up so as to stare directly into his eyes. "What are you doing here, Neji?" Neji. Because even as mad as she was, Tenten could not bear to call him anything but his name. His eyes did not waver, and suddenly Tenten felt like she was suffocating. God, how she hated it when he stared at her like this. She wanted to run, dig a hole, maybe—anywhere to escape Neji's heavy gaze. Man, ostriches had it made.

"Talking to you, I would hope."

"So I take it you have not forgotten that I am, in fact, very mad at you?"

Neji inclined his head slowly, inky black hair falling over his shoulder. "No, I have not forgotten."

Tenten nodded briskly, turning away abruptly and dropping to her knees, scraping up her weapons and dumping them in various pouches. "Good. Just so you know. So," she said, glancing up at him with a dirty look in her eyes, "what are you doing here still?"

He fell to the ground beside her—gracefully, always gracefully—and plucked a senbon from her fingers. He studied it carefully before twirling it with his long fingers, never once dropping it.

"I came to apologize," he admitted finally. She nearly missed his words, as they were quiet as the wind that blew around them.

"Apologize? Why? You didn't exactly do anything wrong," she pointed out. And as much as she hated to admit it, it was true.

"Still, I…I said some inappropriate and rude things to you. It is unforgivable. I should have found a diplomatic way to diffuse the situation. Hence, I have failed as a Hyuuga."

Tenten raised an eyebrow, wondering if he realized how ridiculous he sounded. "Ah, Neji?"

"Yes, Tenten?"

"It's okay. Really. And I honestly doubt that you've failed as a Hyuuga. You're insufferably polite half of the time and the other you're politely rude. All in all, I'd say you're a very polite person."

Neji was unmoving, however. "It is inappropriate to say rude things to a lady."

"This again?" She sighed exasperatingly as a fond smile crept onto her face. "Right. So it's nice to be called a lady once in a blue moon, but really. Everyone's allowed to have a temper—yours is just more buried than everyone else's. Besides," she shifted uncomfortably, "I jumped to conclusions. It was my fault, so I apologize for upsetting you, Neji."

"I'll accept your apology if you accept mine," Neji offered after a while.

"Works for me." Tenten smiled up at him, and for a moment he returned the smile. They smiled at each other for an amiable silence.

"Why are we tiptoeing around the subject at hand like this?" He snorted, shook his head. "You are angry at me."

"Was," she corrected mildly. "Remember how I accepted your apology ten seconds ago?"

She wondered if there was anyone in the village who appreciated silence anymore. Wasn't Neji supposed to be stoic and strong and silent? Why was he continuing this conversation?

"You are angry with me," Neji repeated. "You did not believe me when I said I wanted to go on a date with you. Why?"

Boy, this wasn't awkward at all. "Um, isn't it obvious?"

"Actually, I am quite confused."

Right. What was she thinking? This was Neji—_Hyuuga Neji_—the man rumored to have the emotional capacity of an icicle. Or ice-cube. Whatever. She was Tenten, the woman talented with weapons but awkward with words. How the hell was she supposed to get through this one?

'_Grin and bear it, Tenten,' _she thought._ 'You once had to explain to _Lee_ what a tampon was when he found it sticking out of your bag once. This should be a piece of cake.' _

"Tenten?"

'_Piece. Of. Cake.' _

"Oi."

'_Kami-sama let me drop dead right now.'_

"I thought you were lying." There. That should be nice and clear. She'd even enunciated for the guy, even.

This was not the case, unfortunately. Neji merely furrowed his brows and murmured, "You know I never lie."

Tenten blew a stray piece of hair from her face. "I know."

He leaned forward. "So why would you think I lied?"

Crossing her arms, Tenten told him, "I hope you know that what I'm about to say is the last thing I'd ever want to say."

The line between his brows became more pronounced. "…yes?"

"Right. Just so you know." Flushed, she pressed a cool hand to the side of her neck. "Have you ever wanted something so bad that if or when it finally happened you couldn't really believe it?"

"No."

"Oh." Tenten rolled her head in a circle, swallowing once. Twice. "Well. You know the saying 'de Nile ain't just a river'?"

"Okay." If possible, he looked more confused.

"Ah! This is so frustrating! Aren't you supposed to be good at solving riddles or something?" Her fingers tore at the grass, ripping them into smaller pieces anxiously.

"Tenten." His larger, warmer hands enveloped hers in heavenly warmth. The grass pieces dropped from her stiff hands. "I would understand if you would just stop speaking in riddles."

She took a deep breath. "Okay. Okay," she said.

Her mind laughed at her. '_Cake, Tenten-chan_.'

"I like you," Tenten said. "Like, I really _really_ like you. A lot," she exhaled noisily. "So when you said you wanted to go on a date with me—with _me_!—I just couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe _you_. I mean, why would," she faltered at this. "Why would _you_ want to go on a date with me?"

Hyuuga Neji was frozen on the ground, hands hovering where his had been clasping hers before she had torn them away in her haste to flee. A slow, wide smile spread across his handsome face.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," he called out quietly, drawing to his feet. Konoha would not be big enough to hide from Hyuuga Neji. Not when Tenten was out there without knowing exactly how much he loved her.

And so the chase began.

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_Hello, hello. Glad you guys still care. It's been an excruciatingly amount of time since the last chapter, and I was rather horrified at the gap—both of time and skill. I started this so, so long ago and I combed through every line, every letter, so it might be worthy enough for you guys. I'm so grateful for your support (and threats to my person on what would happen if I didn't update soon, too). So here it is. Sorry for the lack of NejiTen love (I like to torture them a bit because I'm just sick like that). Hope you enjoyed it. _

_--1010'jin_

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